Illusion device.



L. MGCORMIGK.

ILLUSION DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1913. 1,079,902. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1 WITNES'SES INVENTOR PH c0., WASHINGTON D c L. MOOORMIOK.

ILLUSIQN DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB.19, 191s.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR IW ATTORNEYS WIy'SSES ()FFIOE.

LANGDON MCCORMICK, QF'NEW YORK, N. Y., assloivon- To THUitSTON-McCOitMIGK- 00., INC., on NEW YORK, N. Y., A eonronar'ion on NEW YoRK.

ILLUsIoN DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern: b y

Be it known that I, LAiveboiv MoCoRMIoK, a citizenof the United; States, andrsident of the city of New York, N. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illusion Devices; a'ndI do hereby declare the following. to be a full, clear, and exact description of'the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to the production of the illusion of approach or recession of an observed object, and is applicable to scenic effects in theaters, to advertising purposes, and generally, wherever it is desired to provduce such an illusion. For this purpose I associate with the observed thing, or with a suitable representation thereof, the representation of a" road, course or way in perspective, and make provision for progressively obscuring or blotting out the perspective representation, beginning at the distant end, to give the illusion of approach of the object; or for progressively revealing the perspective representation of the road, course or way, beginning with the near end, to give the illusion of recession of the object. Wherever necessary or advisable, I provide a progressively changeable \representation of the observed objectsuitable' to cooperate with the perspective representation in creating and sustaining the illusion.

For the representation of the observed-object, as well as-for the perspective representation of the road, course or way, I may employ scenic structures, paintings on curtains, lights, images thrown on curtains by projecting lanterns, shadow efiects, or combinations of these things; as will be more fully understood from the following description and accompanying drawings.

By way of example, I have illustrated twospecific embodiments of the invention as applied to the creation of the illusion of an appreaching locomotive, and from these it will be understood how the invention may be applied to the creation of all sorts of illusions of approaching and receding objects.

Figure I shows in side elevation, a scenic representation of a locomotive, associated with a representation of arailway' in perspective, painted on a curtain; Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, showing the perspecfiive repre entation fully revealed; Fig. 3 shows in side elevation a modification in which the perspective representation' is thrown on a creen by a proj'e'ctingv lantern; Fig. 4; illustrates the action or the lantern shutter in obscii r ingthe perspective r'e- 'ra sentatio Figs. 51am illustrate two position's' of the head light of the locomotive; and Fig: 7 is a centrar longitudinal Section through the head light.

Referring to- Figs. 1 and 2, the scenic representation' a of a'locomotive carries at its upper portion a headlight or lantern 6 in the" usual position, This lantern has an iris diaphragm clo f the" usual constri'rction (see Figs. 5, 6, and 7). .yvhich is moved to the closed position by the; spring 02, and may be opened, to rogressively increase the visible extent'ofthe light, by a cord 6. In' front of the scenicrepresentation is arranged a c'urtain f which, in the embodiment of the invention here" illustrated,- bears a translucent representation h of airwa in perspective,

Iateflted Nov. 25 1913.

as indicated at 9. Such a representation or transparency ma be made, for example,,b v painting the tracks and ties with oil, or oil paints, on a canvas curtain, The lower end of the curtain f maybe'attached to the lower part of the seem-c representationor to the floor, andits upperigend is attached to a springrol'ler' h carried by the yoke or'hold'er i; to which are connected the cords run- 'ning over suitab1e u11eys, and serving to raise and lower the curtain. For the purpose of making theftranslucent trackway visible, a lamp Z giving asuitable-diffused light is arranged behind the, curtain, and by mounting this lamp ,to slide on a suitable guide-way, asm and controlling. it by a cord,

as the lamp may be caused to move up and down with the spring roller, thereby always illuminating the perspective representation b t atthe top of the visible portion'thereof, and V creating the effect of an illumination of the track, such as is caused by the head light of a locomotive.

The mode of operation of the device will be clear. The curtain being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, illuminated from the rear by the lamp Z and with dim lights light is simultaneously increased, and if desired, the lamp Z is lowered to continually accentuate the illumination of the track at the distant end of-th'e perspective. As the curtain finally disappears, the theater lights will be manipulated to accentuate the scenic representation of the locomotive, which has,

u'pto this time, been represented by the head light, and of course the necessary noise making accessoriesmay be provided to aid the optical illusion by like appeal tothe sense of hearing. To create the illusion of recession of the observed object, it is only necessary to reverse the operation, as will at once be understood.

It will be obvious that the perspective representation of the road track or way may be established in a multitude of ways. In the perspective representation. tain maybe replaced by a representation made up'of slats of board or card-board, or I so; on. 1

arrangement shown in-Fig. 3-, foriexample, the representationis thrownon the curtain 0 by the'projection lantern p, the shutter r (see F ig.4) being provided for the purpose of progressively obscuring and revealing the The 010th curthe representation may be established by lightsbehind ortaking place of the curtain and which are progressively extinguished or lighted to produce the desired effects, and

What I claim is:

i Y1.,A1device for association with an ohserved obj ect or with a representation thereof to create the impression of approach or recessionof the object, comprising a perspective representation of a road, course or way, and mechanism for progressively changing th'evisible extent of the perspectiverepresentation,substantially as and for the purpose described.

' 2. A device for creating the illusion of approach or recession of an observed object, comprlsing a progressively variable representation of the object, a perspective representation of a road, course or way associated therewith, and mechanism for actuating the progressively;variable representation of the object and" simultaneously varying the visitive representation of a road,

ble extent of the perspective representation of the road, course or way to create and sustain the desired illusion; substantially as described.

3. A device for creating the illusion of approach of a locomotive or the like, comprising a head light, a perspective representation of a road, course or way associated with the head light, and mechanism for progressively obscuring the perspective representation of the road, course or way and simultaneously and progressively increasing the visible extent of the head light to create and sustain the illusion of approach of the locomotive or the like; substantially as described.

4; A device for creating the illusion of approach of a locomotive or the like, comprising a, scenic representation of the front of the locomotive or the like, a head light carried thereby, a curtain bearing a perspective representation of a road, course or way beneath the head light and concealing the scenic representation, and mechanism for progressively removing the curtain from the top down and for simultaneously and progressively increasing the visible extent of the head-light; substantially as described.

5. 'A device for creating the illusion of approach of a locomotive or the like, comprising a scenic representation of the front of the locomotive or the like, a head light carried thereby, a curtain bearing a perspective representation of a road, course or way, beneath the head light, and concealing the scenic representation, mechanism for progressively removing the curtain from the top down and for simultaneously and progressively increasing the visible extent of the head light, and means .for continually accentuating the illumination of the upper visible portion of the perspective representation; substantially as described.

6. In a device for the purpose described, a curtain bearing a perspective representation of a road, course or way, a spring roller to whichthe upper end of the curtain is fastened, a holder for the roller, and cords for raising and lowering the holder; substantially as described.

7 In a device for the purpose described, a curtain bearing a perspective representation of a road, courseor way, a light above the curtain at the end of the perspective, and mechanism for progressively but oppositely varying the visible extent of the perspective representation and of the light; substantially as described.

8. In a device for the purpose described, a scenic representation of an object with respect to which the illusion of approach or recession is to be created, a curtain before the scenic representation and bearing a perspeccourse or Way, alight supported above the curtain and at the end of the perspective, and mechanism for simultaneouly and progressively remov- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, ing the curtain from the top down and inin presence of two Witnesses.

creasing the visible extent of the light, or LANGDON MCCORMICK for simultaneously and progressively moving the curtain from the bottom up and de- Witnesses:

creasing the visible extent of the light; sub- THOMAS F. MAGMAHON,

stantially as described. IRVING J AFFIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 6. 

